Over Yonder
by Pearl of the Dark Age
Summary: Ryou seeks a cure for loneliness. Jou finds love while Honda and Otogi duke it out. Yugi teams up with an unlikely ally to win back Anzu from Kaiba. Where does Rebecca fit into this? Contains lots of characters and ships, mostly het with some slash.
1. Chapter 1

**Over Yonder**

June 21, 2006

Summer Solstice

by Pearl of the Dark Age

There is a reason for my madness. It may not be apparent right away, but all shall reveal itself in due course.

Chapter 1

He did not know how it really happened, only that it was Mokuba's fault. _I can't believe I got myself into this_, Seto thought. _When did I lose so much control over my own life?_ If there was one thing Seto Kaiba could not stand, it was lack of control. He had lost a bet to Mokuba, and now Anzu Mazaki was firmly implanted in his life in ways he never imagined.

_On the plus side_, he smirked to himself, _at least I've won out against Yugi over something._ His new girlfriend was smart enough, attractive enough, and talented enough, but he still could not see eye to eye with his brother. Mokuba was crazy about her. He had set them up, and now Seto was stuck with a girlfriend. _It was a stupid bet to begin with_, he thought bitterly. _How was I supposed to know that the name of the street had changed? Mokuba tricked me! _(A/N)

On the other hand, she afforded him many opportunities to gloat over Yugi, who took the new, unexpected relationship stoically. But these opportunities came with a price. She was not high maintenance, as he always assumed Mai Kujaku and Vivian Wong would be. She was self-maintained, assertive, and independent, but she did try to encourage him to "come out of his shell" as she once put it. And then there were the speeches… He hated the speeches! _Why did I kiss her? _Seto thought. _I should have just taken her to the door and wished her good night - nothing else! _The CEO's naiveté in the flowers and chocolates department told him a good night's kiss was the "right" thing to do at the end of their first date. _So much for chivalry_.

The crowded mall bustled with noise, glitz, and excitement. Seto was carrying three large shopping bags and wearing a subtle expression of exhaustion. Anzu skipped ahead a little, stopping in front of a shoe shop, and made a beeline into it. _There is no way I'm following her in there! _But he did anyway, settled himself in a chair, and deposited the bursting bags next to his tired feet. A shoe saleslady came over to ask him if he wanted to try on some shoes. Doing his very best to not be completely rude, he gave her a cold look and explained that he was just here with his girlfriend.

Anzu had five pairs surrounding her feet, trying on one pair after another. She moved down the aisle, perusing at leisure. She picked out everything from sandals to strappy high-heels, dancing shoes to hiking boots. Seto was too tired to try and understand what exactly she was looking for. About twenty minutes later, she ambled over with nine pairs in her hands and piled them noisily onto the floor next to Seto, waking him. "I'm having difficulty deciding which ones to get," she informed him. She selected a pretty pair of Italian heels and held them up for him to observe. "What do you think of these?"

"Do they fit?" he asked dully. Practicality was a strong point for him in these situations.

"They all fit," Anzu replied. "I'm just not sure which ones to get. I don't want to spend a lot of money."

"It's my money," Seto answered, a little puzzled. "Look, get whatever you want. If you are looking for my advice, pick the ones you know you will wear more than once and those that don't hurt your feet."

"Well, that excludes this pair," she said, kicking them out of the pile. "Are you sure it's not too much? I would like to spend some of my own money _sometimes_." She did not like the fact that he over indulged her every whim. If she said she liked it, he bought it. So she learned to stifle her reactions.

"I'm not stopping you from spending your own money," Seto smirked dryly. "I've told you before, it's not an issue." He had flown them to Tokyo for the day to shop at the largest mall in the country when she had said she wanted to go shopping. He had money to burn. It both enticed her and irritated her, dividing her own thoughts in two.

She gave him a weak smile and pecked him on the cheek. "Thanks," she murmured. Her new boyfriend could buy her the Moon, yet something was lacking. He was nice to her, treated her fairly, and even was a little less caustic to her friends, but there was no spark. _Maybe I had read too much into that kiss_, she wondered. _But it was a really, really good kiss. _She was a sucker for soft lips and tenderness. That kiss surprisingly had both, surprisingly. Anzu had assumed that Seto was "more than meets the eye," and she had resolved to give him a chance.

She could not deny that she had fun with him. He took her to many different places she had never even imagined. They had gone hiking in the mountains, scuba diving in Okinawa, attended sumo wrestling matches in Hokkaido, visited old Shinto shrines, museums, art galleries, and so much more. Half of the time Mokuba went along, but every time, so did what Anzu fondly called the Other Mistress. Seto never went anywhere without his laptop, and in every single spare moment, he was using it.

Granted, she respected the demands of the Other Mistress, aka Kaiba Corporation, but she still found herself wishing he could leave her for just one day. And in that one day, devote his undivided attention to Anzu. Shopping was the only thing she could think of to accomplish that. He had brought the laptop, but she had insisted he leave it in the rental car.

* * *

The door bell chimed a visitor, and Shizuka answered. She was ecstatic! Her mother brushed passed her, drooping under the weight of a large, dolphin-patterned suitcase, set it down, and stooped to remove her shoes. A trim, young, blonde girl a few years older than Shizuka followed her in, carrying an even larger suitcase. "Let me help you with that, Onee-san!" Shizuka rushed forward to take the enormous luggage from her visitor. 

"Thank you," the blonde replied. She was exhausted, but her crystal-blue eyes sparkled with euphoria to have arrived at last! "I'm so excited! I'm finally here! _Japan_!" The young American exchange student suddenly rushed forward to hug Shizuka, who giggled delightedly. "I finally get to meet you!"

Shizuka hugged her pen pal with equal adoration. "I'm happy to meet you, too, Kuritsu!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad your dad finally gave you permission to come!"

"Yeah, me too," Crystal replied. "I had to chug a whole six-pack, but I made it!"

"A six-pack?" Shizuka queried. "Do you mean beer, Kuritsu-ne?"

Upon seeing the confused look on the younger girl, Crystal added, "Don't ask." She was too thrilled to be in a gorgeous, new country to correct her new friend about the pronunciation of her name. "I still can't understand how sitting on a plane for fourteen hours makes a person tired!" she rhetorically stated. She remembered proper custom and removed her shoes before following Shizuka to her new room.

"I can't wait until Nii-san meets you!" Shizuka exclaimed. "He's going to be so surprised that I've got someone all the way from California living with me for the year!"

"From the way you describe him in your emails," Crystal replied, smiling, "he must be heavenly." She glanced around the room as she helped her friend help her unpack all her things. The larger suitcase contained a smaller one that fit snuggly inside it. The smaller one had been packed with stuff, and then it was packed inside the empty, larger bag.

Shizuka turned to her blonde roommate. "Why?" was all she managed.

"I'm going to eat onigiri, drink sake, and buy all the anime and manga I can carry!" Crystal explained. "All my souvenirs are going in this bag."

"That's a lot of souvenirs," Shizuka commented under her breath.

Together, the two girls made short work of putting all of the new comer's things in drawers and the closet. Crystal's laptop and removable 200 gigabyte hard drive was set upon the desk and assorted plushies decorated a corner of the floor. Shizuka showed her new friend where the guest's futon was located and quickly demonstrated how to store it away properly.

Before both girls knew it, Shizuka's mother was calling them to wash for dinner.

* * *

Ryou Bakura sighed. His head ached and the dust was irritating his lungs. He surveyed the dingy antique shop, picking up items absentmindedly while he waited for his father. His father was an archeologist, and he was also a nut for anything that was old in general. The store merchant glanced at the white-haired youth suspiciously. He was paranoid about shoplifters. He kept one eye on Ryou while dealing business with the elder Bakura. 

An old chair dating back to the middle of the 1800's sat next to a writing desk. A small place card claimed that the set had belonged to Commodore Perry. Bakura sniffed derisively. He knew a fake when he saw one. He had a sudden urge to burn the place to the ground. It was fraudulent, overpriced, and dusty. Ryou's delicate senses were offended. His doe-like eyes traveled over the antiques, picking out the fakes from the worthless old junk.

"Bakura-kun, what are you doing here?" a familiar voice behind him spoke.

Startled, Ryou jumped out of his skin and timidly turned around to face Ryuji Otogi. Green eyes glowed like embers in the dim light. "Otogi-san!" Ryou cried. "I am just here with my father." He pointed in the direction where the two men stood, engaged in a discussion. "What are _you _doing here?"

"Looking for something creepy," he answered. He laughed at the politely incredulous look on Ryou's face and elaborated. "It's for my new apartment. I want to decorate it with weird stuff to make it unique."

"Okay," Ryou replied slowly. "When did you move out on your own?"

"Last week," the dice master informed. "Say, I'm looking for a roommate. Would you like to move in with me?"

Ryou thought about it for three seconds. "Sure!" he said enthusiastically. "I'd be happy to move away from home!" He glanced over to his father. His home life was not bad, but very dull. His parents had given up on him after he had mysteriously disappeared and returned from Egypt. They did not know that he was now cured of what they called "his curse," and they still treated him like he was psychologically ill.

"Is everything okay?" Ryuji asked, observing his silent friend.

Ryou seemed to snap out of his reverie and nodded. "Yes, everything is fine now."

Two days later Ryou Bakura had moved everything he owned into the apartment on the other side of Domino City. The apartment was across the street from the brand new branch of the Black Clown. Ryou had asked why they could not live above the game store like most other owners did. Ryuji explained that this new branch had both stories devoted to selling and storing his merchandise. "Oh," was all Ryou had commented.

Even though they were tired from all the unpacking, they stayed up playing DDM until the aurora of the dawn streamed into the window. "I think it's time for bed," Ryuji muttered sleepily. "You're a quick learner, Bakura-kun. I'm going to have to be a little more careful next time."

Ryou smiled benignly. "These kinds of games come naturally to me," he said. He yawned loudly. "I could play…" he paused, yawning wider still, "all night." And he fell over, sound asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note**: This bet that Mokie and Seto made is based on a true one I made with my brother. While we lived elsewhere, he insisted that the street perpendicular to ours was called East Camano, and I knew that it was called Eldger Bay. Anywho, long story short: I won ten bucks! 

Crystal is an OC. Don't use without permission.


	2. Chapter 2

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

06.22.06

Chapter 2

"Achoo!" Pause. "Achoo!" Pause. "Achoo!"

"Do you want an antihistamine, Varon?"

"No, just get that - Achoo! - cat out of my sight!" Varon exclaimed heatedly.

"Aw, but Mr. Snuffles likes you!"

"It's Mr. Snickles, Amelda," Raphael corrected. "I'll go and get you an antihistamine, Varon."

"I said, 'I don't want one!'" Varon returned loudly.

Amelda held Mr. Snickles up to Varon's face. "Mr. Kitty Cat wants to play with you!"

"Get that thing away from me, you evil man-person!" Varon ejaculated. He ran from Amelda and the cat. As he passed Raphael, the blonde held out a heavily muscled arm to stop him dead in his tracks. Varon fell flat on his back, glaring instant death at him.

"Here," Raphael said. "Take these." He handed the glowering brunette two small, yellow pills, and a glass of water. Varon obliged reluctantly, muttering about how he was going to fall asleep later.

"That would be sweet relief," Amelda commented from across the room, cradling the Russian Blue cat in his arms. Varon twisted around to glare at the redhead. Amelda smiled sadistically at him while petting the feline. Mr. Snickles went limp, purring with pleasure. "Raphael, how can you give a cat this beautiful such a horrible name?"

"That thing should be ran over," Varon scorned. "_That _would be sweet relief."

"It's 'run over,' Varon. And I didn't name him, Julia did," Raphael informed.

As if on cue, a tiny toddler came running into the room and launched herself at Varon, who was still sitting on the floor. "Lemme climb you!" she cried. "Gimme horsey, Unkie Baron!"

Varon stood up, and Julia slid down his side to a crumpled heap on the floor. She immediately perked up again, stood wobbly on her legs, and reached skyward. She pleaded with the brunette to pick her up. Varon studied her for a moment, then finally caved in and lifted her up with ease. He turned to the father. "Raphael, why did you move to California? You're French."

"And what's Amelda - Japanese?" Raphael returned. They both turned to look at the redhead, who pretended he had not heard. "Well?" the blonde prompted. "It's about time you explain why you moved to Japan."

"I know!" Varon announced. "He wants to be with _him_!"

"Don't be stupid," Amelda said with a cold, quiet voice. His smile gleamed at them, not convincing either of the comrades that the redhead was innocent. The cat jumped out of Amelda's arms and darted under the couch.

Varon grinned. "Looks like Mr. Kitty doesn't want to play with you anymore!" He cackled.

"It's Mr. Snickles, Unkie Baron," Julia corrected in a little girl's immitation of her father's tone.

Varon looked at her incredulously. "Freaky," he whispered. "She sounded just like you, Raph."

The blonde ignored him. "When's your flight, Amelda?"

"17:00."

"That'd be five o'clock," Raphael murmured, checking his watch. "I guess I better drive you to the airport now if you want to make your flight back to Japan on time. Varon, do you think you can watch Julia until Zoey comes back from her shopping?"

"How long does your wife take to shop?" the brunette queried.

"As long as any other woman, I suppose." Raphael turned to the redhead. "Got your things packed?"

"Yeah, I'll go get them." Amelda walked passed the two men into the hall and returned a moment later with his bag. "I'm ready. Bye Varon!" He gave him a kiss on the cheek and one for Julia, too.

"Bye," Varon said, torn between disgust and amusement.

"Bye Unkie Amelga!" Julia cried.

"I'll be back in a couple hours," Raphael said to Varon and his daughter. Addressing the brunette directly, he added, "And don't kill the cat!"

* * *

A person would not guess from talking to Ryuji Otogi that he was a restless person. He had no quick movements or nervous mannerisms, but he was indeed restless. The only tell-tale sign was that every so often he would twirl a strand of hair around his finger. And the black-haired youth was hardly ever home. If he was not at work, he was hanging out with friends. And he had a lot of friends. Ryou could not believe anyone could be so popular.

Ryou often felt lonely. He hardly had any friends. Yugi was busy working two jobs. Jonouchi was always up to something with Honda; the two of them lived together, sharing an apartment not too far from where Yugi lived, who still lived with his grandfather and mother. And Anzu had a new boyfriend. When Ryou first heard of this, he shook his head in disbelief. He wished that he had a companion to share himself with, too.

After having a yami for so long, he was unaccustomed to being alone. Ryou found a job working as a waiter, and he spent his spare time writing poetry or developing new role playing games. Ryuji was very interested in Ryou's ideas for different and new RPGs, and he encouraged his white-haired roommate to come up with as many as possible. Ryou was just happy that someone was showing an interest in him.

But then, Ryuji was hardly ever around. At least every other night the dice master came home with a different girl. Ryou asked him about it once, and all Ryuji had replied was that he could not get the one he really wanted. Ryou did not press the matter further, but down inside he felt that Ryuji was hurting himself, rather than helping.

It did not take very long for desperation to creep into Ryou's heart. His loneliness became an agonizing torture. His neck hurt from all the times he had snapped his head around to glance at the front door when he had heard voices in the hall, expecting it to be Ryuji returning home. And every single time it was not his handsome roommate, Ryou felt rejected and miserable.

He started doing all the household chores - cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc. - in the hopes that this would encourage Ryuji to take more of an interest in him rather than the simpering females who hung on his arms. Ryuji thanked him profusely at first, but too quickly took it for granted. Now it was expected of Ryou to cook their dinners and clean the dishes - whether or not Ryuji bothered to come home in time to eat or not.

Again, the disappointment weighed heavily on the white-haired youth, who looked for new and ingenious ways to attract an indifferent Otogi's attention. He dropped comments, he made special RPG's for the dice master, and he even left the poetry he had written lying around the house. When Ryuji had found the poetry, he had laughed and teased Ryou for being so sentimental. Then, the dice master used the poetry to give to his girlfriends. At this point Ryou got angry.

"That's not right! I wrote that!" Ryou shrieked at him.

"It's not like you're using it to attract anyone, Ryou," Ryuji defended. "Why can't I use it? It's very good."

"If it's so good, then why did you laugh at me for writing it?" Ryou demanded. "And you can't use it because I'm using it!"

Ryuji quirked an eyebrow in curiosity. "You're using it? For whom? Besides, I was only teasing you. I didn't know you could be so cute when you're angry. Calm down. All right, I won't use your poetry to pick up girls anymore."

Ryou was thrilled that Ryuji had called him 'cute.' He melted into a puddle of happiness. "Okay," he replied, smiling broadly. "You can do whatever you want with it."

"Really?" Ryuji asked, surprised by Ryou's change of heart. "Thanks!"

Ryou watched his roommate leave with the poetry in hand torn between euphoria over his small win and irritation that Ryuji was still going to chase after girls. He decided that it was time to take more drastic measures to win Ryuji's heart.

* * *

Author's Note: Zoey is my OC. She's only a minor character. Her real name is Isola, and her nickname is Zoey. This is her first appearance in my fics by name. She was referred to in "Raspberries & Creme" and "Mokuba's Plan." She won't be in this story again, but she will be popping up again in an upcoming fic, "Quinquepertitius." Don't use her without my permission.

For those of you who don't know me, I _never_ write Marysues! All my OCs are unique characters unto themselves, and any similarities between them and real people are mere coincidences.

Please see my forum, **Ink**, for background information to this story and others. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

07.12.06

Chapter 3

Rebecca sauntered into the paint shop, completely uninterested in the merchandise. She searched for a particular, spiky-haired gentleman. Yugi was behind the array of shelves, inventorying the paint cans on the back wall. "Hello, darling!" Rebecca chimed when she spotted him.

"Hello, Rebecca," Yugi replied, not taking his eyes off his task. It was imperative that he finish soon before his ill-tempered boss arrived to work.

"When you get off your shift today, would you like to come to the arcade with me?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go home and help Jii-san with the new shipment that arrived this morning!" Yugi informed, a little excited. He paused in his inventory to give the short blonde a sympathetic smile. "It's not easy juggling two jobs!"

"I don't know why you do it," Rebecca muttered. "What are you saving your money for, Yugi darling?"

Yugi did not reply. He knew Rebecca still had feelings for him, but he still had those same feelings for Anzu. Yugi retained the hope that the beautiful dancer would lose interest in the CEO, come to her senses, and dump him. He also knew that Anzu had plans to return to New York, where she had completed her schooling. Now that she could dance professionally, she had confided her plans to Yugi that she was going to go back to the Big Apple and start her career as a Broadway star. Yugi had every intention of going with her to America when she left, and so he worked diligently at two jobs to make that happen.

But that got put on hold when she started dating Kaiba. The CEO had no interest in a long-distance relationship. She was also staying around a little longer than she intended for her own reasons, unbeknownst to Yugi or Kaiba.

Rebecca studied Yugi for clues when he did not respond. She sighed heavily. She knew how her darling felt about Anzu. She had been the one to suggest to Mokuba that he match his brother and Anzu together. Apparently, that had not been enough to make Yugi forget about his crush. "Well," Rebecca prompted, breaking the silence, "when are you going to be available? I'd like to spend some time with my darling!"

Yugi turned to her again after noting the last can on his inventory. "I'm sorry, Rebecca, but I'm busy all week. Anzu and I have plans this Sunday. So there won't be any time for me to see you until the following Sunday."

Rebecca glared at him. "'…the following Sunday?'" she repeated incredulously. "How can you be spending time with Anzu? She has a boyfriend now, darling," she said with the most sympathy she could muster as aggravated as she was.

"We are still friends, you know," Yugi answered politely. He strode off to the front desk, putting the inventory in the correct drawer for his boss, and started doing other mundane tasks.

Struck with inspiration, Rebecca skipped over to the counter and leaned over provocatively. "Would it be all right, darling, if I were to join you and Anzu?" she asked innocently. She batted her lashes and flashed him her prettiest smile.

Yugi took one look at her and replied firmly with the barest hesitation, "No."

* * *

Crystal strolled across the street from Shizuka's house to the Black Clown Store. Shizuka had mentioned that she had a friend who owned it, and Crystal was curious to meet all of her roommate's friends. The Californian perused over the items on sale down the aisle and walked up to the front desk. There was no one in the store except a couple of kids and one young man with long black hair and a gaudy earing.

He moved from the DDM shelf over to her, his die earing swinging wildly. "Can I help you?" he asked politely.

Crystal turned to him. "Yes," she replied in her best Japanese. "I'm looking for someone named Ryuji Otogi."

"That'd be me," he replied, flashing her a gleaming smile. He dropped his voice half an octave lower, rested one arm on the counter next to her, and leaned in slightly. "What can I do for you?"

"My friend, Shizuka, told me about you," Crystal answered, taking a step backward to give herself more personal space. "She said that I should check out this store."

At the mention of Shizuka's name, a shadow flashed across Ryuji's face and his smile vanished. "Really?" he asked, curious. "She hardly ever comes over here." Just barely audible, he muttered, "She always spends so much time with her new boyfriend, Honda."

"Yeah, she's with him now on a picnic," Crystal informed, happy to contribute to the conversation. But the sadness in his eyes caused her to realize what the situation was: He fancied Shizuka, but she fancied another. _Oops!_ Crystal thought. She decided to amend her mistake as best she could, "She said lots of very nice things about you. That's why I'm here."

Ryuji blinked. "Oh…" He fell silent, gazing into Crystal's face for more clues.

"So you own this store?" Crystal queried, who was starting to feel uncomfortable. "Aren't you Shizuka's age?"

"No, I'm Jonouchi's age," Ryuji answered vaguely. He seemed to perk up a little, straightening himself up to his full height. "He is Shizuka's older brother."

_Honda's roommate, too_, Crystal reminded herself, remembering what Shizuka had told her. The savvy blonde assessed the information carefully. "Shizuka has said lots of nice things about her brother, too," she added.

Ryuji gave her a small smile. "Yeah, she's nice that way…" He glanced around the store distractedly and then returned his gaze to her. "How would you like a tour?" he asked. The tone was very friendly, but the suave note had been dropped.

Crystal could tell now that he was no longer interested in flirting with her, since she had such a close association with his crush. Now it was safe to just be friends. "Sure," she replied and gave him an encouraging smile in return.

* * *

Seto Kaiba sat at his desk in his office at Kaiba Corp, but was not working. A pop-up box announcing an invite to chat with someone named Secret Olive had caught his attention. Curious, Seto had started talking with the stranger, and now he was hooked. He had no idea who Secret Olive was, but he found him fascinating. He even forgot all about the fact that he was still at work!

They talked mostly about Duel Monsters. But now they were conversing about people that annoy the hell out of them. "Tell me about it," Seto typed. "I am surrounded by people who annoy the hell out of me! My own girlfriend likes to give speeches about friendship and trivial stuff like that."

"You have a girlfriend?" Secret Olive responded.

"Yeah," Seto wrote back. "Don't ask. I really don't know what to do about it. I like her. She's nice."

"Is that it? You just 'like' her? Sounds like you should find someone else who excites you a little more."

"I don't get 'excited,'" Seto replied. "I prefer to be in control of the situation at all times."

There was a hesitation before the return text. "Sounds like you are missing out on a lot in life," Secret Olive typed. "Honestly, getting excited doesn't cause you to lose control of a situation as much as getting angry does. Besides, you shouldn't be so focused on control; you'll miss out on a lot."

"Miss out on what?"

"I don't know… Smelling the roses and all that kind of stuff…"

"I don't smell roses," Seto replied, annoyed because he was strongly reminded of Siegfried.

"What _do_ you do, then?" Secret Olive asked.

The text seemed to be accusing the CEO of something. He was using the screen name, _Ryu-sama_, in order to remain anonymous. So, he could not very well reply that he was in fact a very busy, very successful businessman. Deciding on a more general answer, he typed, "I have a life."

A whole minute passed before Secret Olive wrote back with something that changed the subject entirely. They corresponded for ten more minutes before Anzu walked into his office, and Seto felt embarrassed. A slight pink tinged his ears, but no other physical clue was evident.

"Yes?" he asked curtly. He turned to her, while logging off the computer simultaneously.

"I thought that you might want to take a break and have lunch with me," Anzu suggested sweetly.

Startled, he glanced down at his watch. "It's lunchtime already?" He kicked himself mentally for wasting so much time talking to a complete stranger when he had work to do. "Damn!"

"Or not…" Anzu murmured. "I was only making a suggestion." She bit her bottom lip, perturbed that she had obviously vexed her boyfriend somehow. "What are you up to?" she asked, trying to be helpful.

Seto gave her a fleeting look of astonishment. "I'm not _up to_ anything!" he said defensively. Upon seeing the hurt expression on her face, he realized that she was only being curious and not accusing him of… _What? There's nothing wrong with talking to other people_, Seto mused. Softening, he said with a small smile, "Lunch sounds nice."


	4. Chapter 4

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

July 13, 2006

Chapter 4

Ryuji came home to find Ryou waiting for him just behind the front door, arms folded with his sienna eyes blazing. The dice master sighed. "Is something wrong?" he asked dully.

"Do you know what time it is?" Ryou asked heatedly. The whites of his eyes were pink.

The green eyes gazed at the floor, not meeting Ryou's. "It's not that late, you know," Ryuji said softly. "How was work today? Any bad customers this time?"

"Don't try and change the subject!" Ryou cried. "You are totally clueless, aren't you! Ryuji, don't you know what you _do_ to me?"

The dice master's eyes widened in alarm. "_Do_?" he gulped, feeling wrong-footed. "What do you mean?"

Ryou took three confident strides with the air of someone who had steeled himself for something daring. "This!" And he embraced Ryuji tightly, quickly, and kissed him passionately before the latter could react.

Ryuji's brain spun in circles trying to comprehend Ryou's tongue in his mouth. _What the hell did I do to deserve this?_ he wondered. With gentle but firm hands, he pushed Ryou off him and held the white-haired young man at arm's length.

They were both breathless and silent as green gazed into brown for comprehension. Ryuji recovered first. "Ryou! What the hell?"

"I love you!" Ryou exclaimed. He moved in for another kiss, but Ryuji held him fast.

"Ryou, I think you are a little confused," Ryuji began tenderly. He smiled at Ryou, still uncomprehending the youth's intentions. "I'm a guy. You can't have those kinds of feelings for me."

Ryou's eyes widened this time, and he tossed his head back and laughed, startling Ryuji. "I'm _gay_, you idiot! All those poems I wrote were for you! You are so dense!"

Ryuji was torn between flattery at being admired by a gay guy and being offended at the insult. "I'm not an idiot!" he defended. "I just don't think that way, Ryou." He softened a little. "Ryou, I'm going to tell you this one time so pay attention. I like you… but only as a friend. Perhaps I haven't been the greatest roommate, but I do know that I am not under any obligation to return your feelings. I don't… I'm not gay, Ryou! I can never be what you want me to be." He paused and added, "I'm sorry."

Ryou blinked a few more tears, but the expression on his face seemed to be that of reluctant understanding. "You don't understand, Ryuji," he replied. "I am so… _lonely_." He gazed into the black-haired youth's face in earnest, pleading with him to have a change of heart.

"So…" Ryuji said slowly – the cogs in his brain finally clunking into place, "you aren't really in love with me? You are just lonely?"

Ryou shrugged apathetically. "It's the same thing, isn't it?" he murmured.

"Uh…" Ryuji answered sympathetically. "You know I'm in love with Shizuka, but you don't see me moping around and writing poetry. You need to get out more, Ryou. Haven't you met anyone at work?"

A small smile returned to Ryou's tear-stained face. "I'd like to read the poetry you could write," he mocked. "No, I don't meet guys at work. How many guys our age come into a diner by themselves?" He glanced off to the side, insecure. "Besides… you know how shy I am."

"Shy?" Ryuji returned his smile. "I wouldn't call what you just did 'shy.'"

Ryou's smile widened. "Would you like me to kiss you again, so you can reconsider my offer?"

Ryuji laughed. "You've got more guts than you give yourself credit for, Ryou. And no, thanks."

They both fell silent for a moment, neither knowing what to say next in the awkward situation. Ryuji took to twirling his hair and Ryou dug the toe of his loafers into the carpet morosely. Suddenly, a stroke of inspiration hit the dice master. "Well," Ryuji said confidently, breaking the silence. "I don't want my friend to be lonely. I think I have an idea."

* * *

Ryuji's head snapped up when he heard the bell jingle over the front door of his store. He was annoyed that it was Rebecca who entered; he had been expecting Jonouchi. "What do you want?" he asked her curtly. 

Bristling with dignity, she replied stiffly, "Hello to you, too!" She gave him a scathing glare and sat down at the tall stool in front of the counter. "Hello, Ryou!" she said sweetly. "What's up?"

"We're waiting for Jonouchi," he answered. He grinned at the perplexed furrow in her brow.

Ryuji glanced over to her and moved to stand by Ryou. "It's personal. I'm sorry for being rude, Becky, but I have to ask you to leave."

"It's all right," Ryou said, grinning slightly. "She can stay. She won't ruin anything."

A smirk tugged at the short blonde's lips. Her eyelids dropped a little as she studied Ryou for clues. "What are you two conspiring?" she inquired point-blank. "What the hell does Jonouchi have to do with it?"

"Such language for a lady," Ryuji teased. "We are not conspiring anything _against_ Jonouchi. I'll tell you that much if you promise to keep your big mouth shut."

"Hmph!" she mused. She gazed intently into Ryuji's hot green eyes until she evidently came to a decision. "Fine. I will be quiet if I can stay to watch. You better not be doing anything mean to Jonouchi, or I'll be mad!"

"I thought Yugi was your darling," Ryou said, a little confused.

"He IS!" Rebecca exclaimed loudly, slamming her fist on the counter. "But Jonouchi is his best friend. And anything you do to Yugi's friend you are doing to me!"

"We're Yugi's friends, too," Ryuji pointed out. "Doesn't that kind of negate it?"

Rebecca's smirk returned in fullness this time. "Negate? My! Aren't we using big words today," she mocked, much to Ryuji's annoyance. "The fact remains that Jonouchi is closer to Yugi than you two boneheads."

Ryou stared at her incredulously while Ryuji scowled darkly at her. He was thinking of how to best insult her back when the bell rung again, and Jonouchi strode into the store. Ryuji smiled, welcomed him in, and provided another barstool to sit on.

Jonouchi glanced at the stool before sitting on it next to Rebecca. "Kind of hokey, isn't it?" he asked.

Ryuji glared daggers at him. "Jonouchi, I'm not in the mood today for remarks like that. I've had just about all I can stomach from the _genius_ over there." He emphasized the word of choice while indicating Rebecca with a mere glance. His smile returned, a little constrained, but genuine. "Where's Honda?"

"Oh, he's on his way with a couple of girls," Jonouchi answered, looking at Rebecca curiously. "What did you do this time?"

Her expression clearly indicated her indifference. "Nothing," she said softly, resting her chin on her hand.

For the first time in his life, Ryuji wished there were not any girls present! _And now more are coming? _he thought desperately. _How are we going to get away with this?_ Biting his lip, he concluded that the best course of action would be to proceed before Honda arrived with the girls. "Jonouchi, look…" he stated, leaning forward slightly over the counter, "I have a proposition for you."

Rebecca took notice of Ryou's darkened eyes directed at his roommate's apparently rash decision. Jonouchi did not notice, however, and returned Ryuji's gaze with a look of curiousity. "Proposition?" he repeated with a tone of intrigue. "What kind of proposition?"

Ryuji glanced over to Ryou for a cue, whose face had turned blank. _So I'm on my own_, Ryuji thought. He turned back to Jonouchi. "A roommate swap," he answered frankly.

"Huh?" Jonouchi uttered, slightly confused. "Swap who with whom? Why?"

"You move in with me, and Ryou can move in with Honda."

Rebecca raised her eyebrows. This is not what she had expected, and she could not see what exactly made this a 'conspiracy.'

Jonouchi studied Ryuji's and Ryou's faces carefully, evidently thinking it over. He grinned broadly after a moment and said jovially, "Thanks guys, but I don't see what I have to gain by moving to the other side of Domino City." His smile faltered a little at the expressions of disappointment he received. Resigned for an explanation, he closed his eyes and propped his head on his hand in exasperation. "Otogi, I would have to commute to school and work if I were to move in with you. Besides, Honda would be the one to want to move in with you. Swap with him. Then he could see Shizuka every day."

A very satisfied smile appeared on the dice master's face. "Is that what you want?" he said in a very low, careful voice. "You want your one and only sister to be seeing her boyfriend at his convenience?"

Jonouchi's eyes popped open as he realized what he had just said. "Uh… no… That's not what I meant!" he returned. He straightened himself up. "I just meant that… And you still haven't answered why you want to swap!"

Just then, the bell jingled yet again, and Honda came striding in with his arm wrapped around Shizuka. Behind them was Crystal, who seemed a little embarrassed by their behavior. "Hi, everyone!" Honda greeted enthusiastically. He strode up to the counter, leaned against it, and chuckled at everyone's expression. "What's going on?"

"Shizuka, how would you like to give your big brother a hug?" Jonouchi asked.

She giggled, broke apart from a disappointed Honda, and hugged her brother. "Nii-san, there is someone I want you to meet!" She turned to Crystal and said, "This is my older brother, Jonouchi," indicating the open-mouthed sibling. He was staring at Crystal as if he had never seen anyone quite like her. Shizuka turned to him and indicated her roommate, "This is my new friend, Kuritsu-ne."

They had a very awkward introduction as each was not sure whether to shake hands or bow. They ended up doing both simultaneously as Jonouchi stammered his greeting and Crystal's blue eyes sparkled. Ryuji smirked. He knew love at first sight when he saw it, and now he knew just how to convince Jonouchi to move in with him.

Ryou was totally uninterested in the new girl. When they all moved into Ryuji's comfy office, he sat down right next to Honda. Shizuka was forced to sit next on Ryou's other side, next to her roommate, who was sitting next to a boastful Jonouchi.

He seemed to have come to his senses and immediately went into trying to impress the Californian with everything from his biceps to his wins in Duel Monsters Tournaments. Surprising everyone else in the room, she was not at all turned off by his bragging. She actually rested her hand friendly-like on his knee, causing him to turn beet red.

The next half hour passed without anyone mentioning the roommate swap until Honda declared that he and Shizuka had plans for dinner. Crystal figured she should leave, too, but not before she acquired Jonouchi's cell phone number. Rebecca left with the three, and they all exchanged goodbyes.

After the four left, Jonouchi turned to Ryuji and asked seriously, "When can I move in?"

Ryuji grinned, delighted that his plan had worked without much further effort on his part. "As soon as you can."


	5. Chapter 5

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

07.28.06

Chapter 5

"Hi there, darling!" Rebecca called. She waved frantically across the street to Yugi, who groaned.

"What's wrong, Yugi?" Anzu asked politely. Secretly, she was both annoyed that Rebecca showed up and happy that Yugi was not pleased with it.

"I told her…" Yugi began, but he stopped dead as Rebecca approached.

The petite blonde grinned broadly at the pair of them. "Fancy seeing you two here," she said in an offhand voice. "Anzu, what is your boyfriend up to these days?"

"Uh…" Anzu replied, blushing slightly. "I'm not sure. Seto is so busy with work. He spends all his time on that laptop of his."

"Oh, you call him Seto now, don't you?" Rebecca said sweetly. "I think it's wonderful that you two are so close."

Yugi was growling with jealousy on the inside, but his face was twisted into a painful smile. "Don't get the wrong idea, Rebecca," Yugi interrupted. "Anzu was just telling me earlier that she feels that Kaiba-kun has been pushing her away lately."

"Really?" Rebecca's eyes widened. There was a shadow of disappointment that flitted across her features, but she morphed it into mock surprise. "I bet he's planning something really special just for you, Anzu!" she exclaimed.

The brunette dancer looked taken aback. "I'm not so sure…" she murmured. "Seto's been very closed off lately… even more so than usual, that is. I feel that I don't really reach him. I talk to him, he's nice and polite, but his mind is on something else." She thought to herself _…or someone_.

_Well, now I need to have a few words with Kaiba_, Rebecca mused bitterly. _He needs to know that Anzu is a great catch. _She smiled at them. "I'm glad to run into you guys! Now we can all have fun together!"

Yugi winced, but Anzu's face stretched in a gleeful surprise. "Yugi, look who it is!" she exclaimed excitedly while pointing to someone behind Rebecca. "Can you believe it?"

Rebecca spun around. She deduced that Anzu was pointing at someone across the street with short, red hair. She had no idea who he was and started to think that Anzu was playing a trick. She turned back to face him, and the expression of shock upon Yugi's countenance informed her just how wrong she was.

"It's Amelda-kun," Yugi murmured.

"You know him?" Rebecca asked, astonished. "He looks foreign."

"Don't you remember?" Anzu queried. "He dueled Seto on top of his plane!"

Puzzled, Rebecca replied, "No… where was I?"

"You were there at the docks," Yugi answered. "He was in the helicopter… Oh yeah, you probably never saw him from where you were standing."

Being a genius, Rebecca was suddenly inspired to call this Amelda over. "AMELDA!" she shouted. She waved enthusiastically for him to come over.

He spun around to stare at her, incredulous. His silver eyes widened as he recognized Yugi and Anzu standing behind the strange, petite blonde. He stared at her, trying to place her face with a name. _Wasn't she that scientist's granddaughter?_ Fuzzy images of Raphael's report came back to him.

Amelda could care less about her, but what really interested him was the brunette standing behind her. He smiled sadistically to himself as he crossed the street. "Hello," he said friendly-like. "What's up?"

Yugi interpreted this mannerism to mean that he was a nice person. "Well, we are all a little surprised to see you here in Japan, Amelda-kun!" he replied.

_Amelda-kun? _the redhead pondered. _Since when have I been his friend? _He indulged him with a kind smile. "I live in Japan now," he informed. "Moved not that long ago, actually."

"You dueled Kaiba on top of a plane?" Rebecca interrogated before anyone could say anything.

He looked at her carefully, trying to ascertain her intentions. "Yes."

"So you must know him," she said.

"Kind of…" Amelda replied. "What's it to you?"

"Well, don't you think that Anzu and Kaiba are perfect for each other?" she simpered.

The redhead glanced at the glowing brunette. Anzu blushed like a rose while a vein throbbed in her temple. Her gritted teeth clearly stated to Amelda that Rebecca was crossing the line.

"No," Amelda replied flatly.

All three of them looked aghast at him. Yugi blinked in shock, then grinned despite himself. Anzu stopped blushing and paled, wondering if Amelda's response was some sort of sign. And Rebecca was enraged.

"What do you mean, '_No_'?" she yelled. "Who are you to say so?"

"_No_ as in the opposite of _yes_," Amelda replied calmly. His cheshire-cat smile stretched across his features, thoroughly enjoying himself. "And if you didn't want my opinion, you should not have asked."

Yugi felt a warm sense of contentment permeating his body. He was slightly curious about what was behind the former Doom swordsman's reasoning, but Yugi agreed whole-heartedly nonetheless. "Why don't you join us, Amelda-kun? Anzu and I were going to go to the arcades."

Amelda glanced at Rebecca, who was obviously put out at being excluded. "Sure," he muttered, wondering if this could somehow be to his advantage. "What are you up to?" he asked Rebecca pointedly.

"Uh… I was…" Rebecca looked sullen. "I'm just going to go see Ryuji," she replied finally, making it up on the spot. "Bye." She trotted off without a backwards glance.

"Thank you, Amelda-kun!" Yugi blurted out once the petite blonde was out of earshot. He grinned sheepishly for a second. "I didn't know how to tell her that…"

"You and Anzu are on a date?" Amelda finished for him, winking at the brunette.

They both blushed this time. Yugi started to stutter about something when Anzu found her voice. "It's not quite like that," she said carefully. "I _do_ have a boyfriend."

_Not for long…_ Amelda thought, grinning to himself.

* * *

Ryou walked into the living room of his new apartment that he now shared with Honda, to find the latter weeping over a piece of paper. "Your poetry is so moving," Honda exclaimed in awe to Ryou. "I wish I could be as inspirational as you!" 

Ryou's mouth twitched into a smile. "Thanks, Honda!" he replied gleefully. "I wish everyone were as appreciative as you!"

Honda clenched a fist dramatically in front of him. "I shall be inspired by your poetry, Ryou, and I shall woo Shizuka with such inspiration!" Honda closed his eyes happily, lost in thought.

Ryou blinked. _And Otogi said he was gay?_ He thought back to what his former roommate had told him. _Something isn't right here. He just acts like a smitten schoolboy. _Feeling bold, he asked Honda, "Are you in love with Shizuka?"

"Yes!" Honda exclaimed joyfully. "I would move mountains for her! I would cross a raging whirlpool to be with her. I would serenade her under her window…" his wistful voice turned into a growl, "if Jonouchi hadn't moved in across the street!" He grew suddenly angry. "I still don't understand how Otogi got him to switch with you! I still don't see the point!" He pouted, still furious that he was going to have to be more careful around Shizuka with her older brother living so close by.

"Hmm," Ryou mused aloud in a casual voice, "Otogi told me that you were gay."

Silence. Then Honda burst into laughter. "He only wishes I was!" he said, chuckling. "Then he could have Shizuka-chan to himself! Don't you get it, Ryou? He is just jealous."

_So he used me_, Ryou confirmed. _I'm tired of being used. I'm tired of being the one who's manipulated and pushed around by others. _Before he could stop himself, he started to cry.

"Uh, what's wrong?" Honda asked, taken aback. He put his hand on Ryou's shoulder to comfort him. "You can tell me Ryou."

* * *

After dropping Anzu off at her house, Amelda treated Yugi to a drink at a local bar. "So, why do you think that Anzu-chan shouldn't be with Kaiba-kun?" Yugi asked the tall redhead. He was glad that Amelda had made the offer for now he could ask the question that had been in the back of his mind all evening. 

"Well, the truth be told – I don't really know Anzu," Amelda murmured. He avoided Yugi's eyes and studied the bottom of his empty glass. "It seems that you agree with me anyways."

"Anzu and I have been friends for a long time," Yugi began. "I don't think Kaiba-kun could appreciate her as well as…"

"You can?" Amelda finished. He glanced up to see Yugi nodding. _It only took one drink to loosen Yugi's tongue, _Amelda thought. _I'm glad he's a lightweight._

"Yes!" Yugi agreed loudly, not realizing he had drunk too much. "Anzu-chan should be mine! But it doesn't explain why you don't think that she should be dating _him_." He pointed at an invisible person representing Kaiba as he fixed Amelda with drunken scrutiny.

"Can you keep a secret?" the redhead whispered, leaning closer to him. Yugi nodded, smiling happily. "I want Kaiba for myself."

Yugi blinked. "I may be drunk, Amelda-kun," he said slowly, "but I know that Kaiba is a man. We had gym together."

"I know, too." Amelda winked, and Yugi's face lit up with delight. "How about you and I work together to break them apart? You will get Anzu, and I will get Kaiba!"

"Sounds great!" Yugi exclaimed giddily. "There's just one problem."

"What's that?"

"Rebecca," Yugi whispered ominously. "I normally give people the benefit of the doubt, but she has been a little too involved with Anzu and Kaiba's relationship lately. I think she plans on keeping them together."

"So, she's just a kid," Amelda replied, shrugging his shoulders indifferently. "How is that a problem?"

"She's a genius," Yugi reminded him. "She can be a very big problem."


	6. Chapter 6

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

08.20.06

Chapter 6

"Thank you!" Anzu exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Seto's neck. "The flowers were lovely, and the poem was so romantic!"

_What flowers?_ Seto wondered. _What poem is she talking about?_ He gently pushed her away slightly, studying her carefully for signs of insanity. "What are you talking about?" he asked.

She blinked in confusion. "The flowers you sent me with the haiku…"

Thinking quickly, Seto deduced that Isono must have taken the initiative to send them. "Uh… sure," Seto replied vaguely, wondering whether he should promote Isono or fire him.

"Well, I was just beginning to think that maybe you didn't even want to be my boyfriend anymore, and then I got the flowers! Now I know! It was very sweet of you," Anzu said kindly. "See you later!" She smiled broadly, kissed him on the cheek, and left the office.

At that moment, Isono came in. "Seto-sama, I have this-"

"Did you send Anzu some flowers?" Seto interrupted.

"Anzu? Flowers?" Isono stammered. "No, sir." The expression upon his face clearly showed his confusion.

Seto blinked. _Then who sent them?_

* * *

"Thanks Ryuji, darling," Rebecca said cheerfully as she skipped over to him. "That poem you gave me was _perfect_!" She sighed contentedly. Anzu had called her after calling Shizuka to tell her the good news. The petite blonde was deeply satisfied her plan had worked.

"No problem," Ryuji muttered absentmindedly. "I got the poem from Ryou. He's pretty good."

"Yeah, I kind of figured that on my own," Rebecca replied. "I knew you couldn't possibly have written it yourself."

Ryuji glared at her. She smirked at him. His intense green eyes never affected her the way they affected other, simple-minded girls. "I could write a poem if I wanted to, Becky!" Ryuji said defensively.

"You couldn't even do it to save your life, darling!" Rebecca teased. She sat down upon the stool in front of the counter, facing him. "For all your so-called 'charms,' you couldn't be romantic enough to-"

"Shut up!" Ryuji hissed. "You are just sore because you don't have Yugi! Don't take it out on me!"

"You are just sore because you don't have Shizuka! Now that Jonouchi is living here, he spends all his time over at Shizuka's house. Your plan backfired! You wanted Jonouchi to be around to keep Honda away, but now that the big brother is here, all he wants to do is hang out with his little sister and her new roommate," she said smugly. "Now you can't see Shizuka without Jonouchi getting in the way. You're worse off than Honda!"

The black-haired youth scowled. "Yeah, leave it to an American to mess up my plan."

"Don't blame Crystal!" Rebecca said. "It's not her fault Jonouchi is falling head over heels for her! I hear the two are quite an item."

"I was talking about you, Becky."

"What did I do?" Rebecca shrilled. "I didn't mess up your plan. It's your own fault for not having the foresight to-"

"Shut up," Ryuji said quietly. "Just shut up…"

And to the dice master's surprise, she did… for a minute. "I'm sorry, darling," Rebecca said softly. "I'm just frustrated. Anzu's very happy that Kaiba is 'interested' in her again, but she expressed that she was also disappointed."

"Disappointed?" Ryuji returned incredulously. "Why?"

"She saw his waning interest as a way out of the relationship. I have to get her interested in him again and make her forget about my Yugi."

"_Your_ Yugi? Have you got your name written on him somewhere?" Ryuji teased. He held up his hands in mock defense when she glowered at him. "Perhaps we should just get over our crushes and move on with our lives. What do you think, Becky?"

"Just because you are admitting defeat, doesn't mean I have to!"

* * *

"I don't know how you can eat this garbage," Amelda muttered as he fingered the soggy french fries. "It's nothing but grease!"

"Grease is good," Yugi moaned through a mouthful of hamburger. "I love hamburgers, and this place is the best!"

"It'll go straight to your hips," Amelda informed. "I prefer salad." He put a small tomato into his mouth and nearly choked on it when a voice shouted at him from across the dining room.

"I know you!"

Yugi and Amelda both turned to see Honda, Ryou, Shizuka, and Crystal waving at him. "Who knows me?" the redhead asked.

"I do!" Crystal said enthusiastically as she and the others approached.

"Well, I don't," Ryou murmured under his breath. Honda elbowed him and grinned jovially. The white-haired youth blushed slightly at the wordless suggestion.

Yugi gaped at Crystal for a second. "How do you know him, Kuritsu-chan?"

"Yeah," Amelda spoke up, recovering from his shock, "how do you know me? I have never seen you before in my life!"

"I baby-sit Julia, Raphael's daughter," she explained. "I live right across the street from him. He has pictures of you and that other guy everywhere."

A look of comprehension dawned on everyone except Ryou. "And who is Raphael?" he asked after no one spoke for a whole minute.

"Long story…" Honda muttered. "Amelda, this is our friend, Ryou." And the brunette shoved Ryou to sit next to the redhead.

Amelda was oblivious to what Honda was trying to accomplish for his lonely roommate. He stared at Crystal expectantly. "But that still doesn't explain why you are here…" he said to her.

"I'm a foreign exchange student," Crystal answered. "I'm rooming with Shizuka." Grey eyes followed her pointing finger to the auburn-haired girl waving timidly at him.

"Nii-san told me about you," Shizuka said in her mousy voice. "He said that you and the others were misguided."

"And who is Nii-san?" Amelda asked, confused.

"Jonouchi."

"My boyfriend."

"Your _what_?" Honda asked Crystal, shocked. "So that's why I haven't been able to get a moment alone with Shizuka-chan! How did that happen?"

"He threw a rock at my window, waking me up in the middle of the night."

"Nii-san is so romantic!" Shizuka chimed.

"And recited a poem for me!" Crystal finished, blushing beet-red.

"What poem?" Ryou asked suspiciously, looking at Honda.

"Uh, let's go order food, everyone!" Honda suggested enthusiastically as he ushered the two girls away, leaving Ryou alone with Yugi and Amelda.

"You know, Yugi," Ryou said, "I think that my poetry has been circulating around a lot of hands lately."

"You write poetry?" Amelda asked keenly, now taking an interest.

"Yeah," Ryou replied. He glanced away from the silver eyes, which gleamed at him. His instincts told him to escape while he could. "I'm going to go order food, too," he said quickly and left without further ado.

"He seems shy," Amelda commented dryly.

"Bakura-kun is very shy," Yugi agreed. "He's been more confident lately, though. I wonder if…" and Yugi stopped dead, seeing the sadistic smile on the redhead's face. "No, Amelda-kun! You are going after Kaiba-kun - remember? Don't spoil our plan!"

"I'm not going to spoil it," Amelda said, cackling. "I'm just going to take a little detour."


	7. Chapter 7

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

08.22.06

Chapter 7

"That's your plan, Amelda?" Yugi asked, incredulous. "But what about what we discussed?"

"Oh, don't worry," the redhead replied, slowing his stride so Yugi could keep up. "I'm still going to go through with that."

"Kaiba-kun is going to hate you for it," Yugi remarked. "What about Ryou? Did you…?"

"Twice!" Amelda smirked at Yugi's disgusted expression. They turned the corner onto another path lined with bushes. The park's cherry trees were in full blossom; several pink flowers floated down like snow, and got caught in Yugi's spiky, tri-colored hair. Amelda giggled at him and nimbly plucked a blossom free. "Kaiba will love me because he hates me," Amelda informed. His grey eyes sparkled mischievously.

"That doesn't make sense." Yugi sighed. "Anzu seems like she's happy to be with him. She said something yesterday about receiving flowers, and I wasn't sure if she was rubbing it in or not."

"If you ask me," Amelda said suavely, "she was dropping you a hint. She wants flowers, but she'd rather have them from you!"

Yugi blushed slightly. "What makes you so sure?" he asked. "You say these things, but how would you know? You don't even know Anzu-chan. Sometimes I think you are just trying to keep up my morale." His beautiful amethyst eyes shined with innocence. "I have to thank you for your support, but I appreciate honesty more."

"I'm being as honest as I can," Amelda said quietly, his smile faltering. "I look like a woman, don't I? Doesn't it make sense that I know how they think?"

Yugi looked skeptical. "I'm not sure that's how it works, Amelda-kun." He opened his mouth to ask another question as they were nearing the last bush in the line when all of a sudden a girl came flying out and glomped him so hard they both fell to the ground.

There was a brief flash of light, and Yugi opened his eyes to see stars swirling around the face of a schoolgirl he had never met before. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" he inquired politely.

"I'M YOUR BIGGEST FAN!" she squealed loudly. "I EVEN TRANSFERRED TO DOMINO HIGH SO I COULD GO TO THE SAME SCHOOL AS YOU USED TO!"

"Man, you're popular," Amelda remarked acidly, rubbing his throbbing ears. "But could you have fans who don't burst my eardrums?"

Yugi tried to stand up, and the girl got off him to help him up. "Is it true you dueled Seto Kaiba and was the first one to beat him?" she asked in a hush whisper. And for some reason, she looked perpendicular to their path into the opposite side of hedges.

Amelda and Yugi followed her gaze. "What's up?" Yugi asked mildly.

"Um, nothing…" she said. She straightened herself to her fullest height, which was almost a foot taller than short Yugi. "Well?" she demanded. "Weren't you the first to ruin his reputation or not?"

"Ha!" the redhead jeered behind her. "That's nothing! I tried to steal his soul!" And he started laughing.

The stranger paled, and she whipped around on her heels so fast, it made Yugi dizzy. "You… _what_?" she whispered, cold as death. Her eyes blackened and narrowed into little slits of fury. "You did _what_?"

"Uh," Amelda paused, his laughter dead. "I thought you were an anti-Kaiba fan."

"I'M HIS BIGGEST FAN IN THE WORLD! I MOVED TO DOMINO CITY JUST SO I COULD BE WITH HIM! HE IS THE AIR IN MY LUNGS, THE BLOOD IN MY VEINS, THE-"

"OKAY, WE GET IT!" Amelda screamed over her. "Sheesh!"

_Smack!_ She slapped the pacifist so hard, it should have knocked his eyes out. He stumbled backwards, and as he regained his balance, he saw that she was gone. "What the hell?" he moaned. "I thought she was a fan of yours?" He gazed at Yugi, totally bewildered.

Yugi shrugged. "I don't know what that was about. But did you notice where that flash of light came from?"

Amelda blinked. "You mean when she slapped me, because I'm still seeing birdies."

"No, when she first attacked me," Yugi replied.

"Oh, yeah…" and he stopped dead, staring into the same spot that the girl had been intent upon before. "From behind those bushes…" He pointed unnecessarily. "It's like someone took a picture or something."

"But why would someone take a picture of some strange girl hugging me?" Yugi wondered aloud.

* * *

"You will never guess what I've won!" Anzu shrilled excitedly as she burst into Shizuka's house, hurriedly removing her shoes as she went. "Look! Look! Look at this!" She brandished a pair of what looked like tickets in one hand as she wildly waved around her left shoe in the other hand.

"Wow! Cool!" Crystal replied enthusiastically as she took the vouchers from the enthralled brunette. "A romantic getaway to Jamaica for two?"

Shizuka squealed excitedly, and Jonouchi smirked as he grabbed them. "Sounds like we could use that, Kuritsu-chan."

"It's not for you!" Shizuka said sharply, snatching the vouchers away from her brother. "It's for Anzu! Here." The auburn-haired girl handed them back to her wide-eyed friend. "You deserve these! I bet even Kaiba-san would be happy to take a break from work-"

"Kaiba!" Jonouchi bellowed. "No way that jerk deserves this! Anzu, you can't be serious."

Anzu looked stunned. "I… I…" she stammered. "I wasn't even thinking of…"

"Really?" Jonouchi breathed ecstatically, his brown eyes bugging out. "Well, in that case…" He snatched the vouchers back again with a flourish. "I'll take these off your hands."

"No!" Crystal said firmly. "They are Anzu's!" And the blonde grabbed them from her boyfriend and returned them to their rightful owner. "She'll just take a girlfriend with her instead if she doesn't want Kaiba going with her."

"Thank you, Kuritsu," Anzu murmured. "Actually, I don't know who to take." She sighed wistfully, thinking of a certain duelist she'd love to go with, but felt it would be out of place asking him. She sighed again, feeling very depressed.

"What's wrong, Anzu-ne?" Shizuka asked concernedly.

"Look," Anzu said dully in a much more deflated voice than her first 'Look.' She held out a polaroid photo of some strange girl madly embracing Yugi.

"Whoa! Yug's got a girlfriend? He didn't tell me!" Jonouchi exclaimed. "When did you take this, Anzu?"

"I didn't take it!" she snapped. "It came in the mail today, before I one the trip to Jamaica at the mall."

"Oh, you won it at the mall?" Jonouchi murmured thoughtfully. "Kuritsu, how would you like to go to the mall today?" He winked at her, suggesting the obvious.

Crystal took a moment to recover, blushing slightly. She turned to Anzu, asking, "So, were you like the one-hundred thousandth customer or something?"

"I think it was millionth," Anzu replied. "This girl came out of nowhere and said I won." She shrugged. All her enthusiasm was gone now that she remembered why she had been so depressed in the first place. "I can't believe Yugi's seeing someone else!"

All three of her friends looked at her consolingly. "Well," Jonouchi said firmly, snatching the photograph out of her hands. "I don't think Yug would get a girl and not tell _me_ about it. They're probably just friends."

"Yeah," Crystal agreed. "He doesn't even look happy." She pointed at Yugi's terrified expression. "She can't be his girlfriend. Maybe she's just a fan."

"Yes, Anzu-ne," Shizuka piped up. "Yugi-san is the world's greatest duelist! I'm sure she's just a fangirl like Kuritsu-ne says!"

"I thought I was the world's greatest duelist?" Jonouchi eyed his sister suspiciously, who blushed and giggled. He turned his gaze back to the photo, very serious. "Still, why would someone send this to you?"

* * *

_I like olives_, Seto thought for the millionth time. _First I like to suck out the pimento then nibble on the green part until it's gone. _The CEO never thought straight when he was conversing online with his mysterious friend, Secret Olive. _I wonder what the secret is_, again, for the millionth time. He smiled stupidly to himself, not caring about work or the window washer almost falling off the scaffolding to his death fifty floors below.

The frightened window washer pounded on the glass, trying to get the blissfully smitten computer potato's attention. But, alas, the glass was triple-paned, bullet-proof glass that dulled out the noise of the window washer's screams.

"So, what are you wearing?" Seto typed. He smirked to himself while waiting for a reply. He never got it.

Isono came in talking so fast Seto couldn't understand a word he had said. "What?" he snapped angrily, feeling embarrassed as if he had been caught doing something perverted. "You're interrupting my work!"

"This is urgent!" Isono said loudly. "You have to come right now! There's no time to explain!"

Seto was irritated, but his over-protective feelings towards his company swiftly rose and Secret Olive was forgotten. The window washer hung onto the scaffolding, gazing into the now empty office with watery eyes.

Five minutes later, Anzu walked into Seto's office. She was puzzled by the empty scaffolding right outside her boyfriend's window, but shrugged. He never explained anything that happened at work, and she got tired of asking. Her feet ached from dance practice, and she sat comfortably in his executive, leather-upholstered chair. Turning on the monitor, she noticed that he was in the middle of a chat with someone named Secret Olive.

The last thing that had been written was:

"Nothing but a smile." and…

"O.O Are you still there?"

Anzu smirked. _Ryu-sama, are you?_ She laughed at Seto's predictable screen name. "I'm still here," she typed back. "Sorry, I had to fire someone."

"Oh, I thought maybe your girlfriend had come by or something," Secret Olive responded.

Anzu blinked. "Not this time. Does it bother you that I have a girlfriend?" she inquired.

"Yes, I was wondering when you were going to get real and dump her. You know you'd rather be with me."

"So you think that I've been lying to her? Would you consider this cheating?"

"Well, if the shoe fits."

"Why you (censored) bastard!" Anzu screamed at the computer! Her hands were shaking so badly she couldn't type anymore even if she wanted. "I'm going to kill you, _Ryu-sama_!"

"Hello?" came a text message from an impatient Secret Olive. "Are you going to meet me IRL?"

Anzu ignored the computer, turning off the monitor angrily. Ten more minutes went by before Seto returned to his office. "What are you doing here?" he asked, his throat sore from all the yelling that took place downstairs. "First there was the explosion downstairs, and then the suicidal window washer…"

"I came to inform you that I won a romantic getaway to Jamaica for two," Anzu said in a dangerous growl, "and that I _won't_ be taking you along with me!"

Seto was stunned. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"_You_," Anzu continued in a dire tone, "can take _Secret Olive_ with you on a romantic getaway to Hell!"


	8. Chapter 8

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

08.22.06

Chapter 8

Amelda collapsed onto the bed face-down next to his white-haired boy toy. He moaned, gratified. Ryou laid his head next to him, sighing deeply. A smile stretched his features so that he looked nearly as insane as his yami-counterpart. "Wow…" he moaned. "That's what I've needed for a long time." His chocolate colored eyes gazed at the sleeping redhead beside him. "Are you asleep already?"

"I could be if you'd shut up," Amelda teased. His eyes were closed, and he smiled blissfully.

Ryou sighed again, tracing a finger along Amelda's bare spine. He stopped when he noticed something he had not seen earlier. "Is that a tattoo?"

"Hm?" the pacifist asked unconcernedly.

"Why do you have a tattoo of an olive on your bum?" Ryou inquired.

"Oh, that… That's a birthmark, not a tattoo," Amelda muttered into his pillow. His eyes didn't even flicker.

"But it's green."

"What? You've never heard of olive-skinned people?" the redhead returned. "I got a bit of Italian in me. It just happens to show up as a elliptical birthmark."

"With a pink spot where the pimento goes?" Ryou asked. "That's some birthmark."

"I blame my parents," Amelda said simply. "It was awful when this punk kid at school found out."

"How did he find out?" Ryou asked.

"He pulled my pants down in front of a group of girls. I guess he thought it would be pretty funny. He wasn't laughing when I knocked all his teeth down his throat." Amelda's face twisted into a bitter expression. "I don't want to talk about it, okay? Just shut up and go to sleep."

Instead of the violent anecdote frightening Ryou, it comforted him. He was happy he had found someone who reminded him of his yami. He missed the spirit of the Millennium Ring so much it caused his heart to ache. The thrill was part of the attraction. He hopped Amelda would be just as devoted to him as his yami. He leaned in close to his lover. "I'm glad I've found someone who could commit to me."

"What are you talking about?" Amelda snapped, his silver eyes now stabbing Ryou. "I never said anything about commitment. You are just a fling. I thought you understood that."

"A _fling_…?" Ryou choked. Tears swarmed in his eyes, blurring his irises into brown blobs. "I thought you were in love with me!"

"In love…?" Amelda repeated, incredulous. "When did I say I love you? I'm in love with someone else!"

"WHAT?" Ryou shrieked. "Someone else? How could you? I… I…" And he dissolved into hysterical sobs.

"I'm sorry," Amelda murmured. "But I know I never said that I love you. It's not my fault if you presume things the way women do. You made it up in your own head."

_SMACK!_ It was twice in the same week that Amelda had been slapped so hard he saw stars. He almost vomited. Ryou screamed at him incoherently. Amelda caught a few curse words in Arabic, and he wondered vaguely where the white-haired bishonen had learned them. (A/N)

Ryou was fully dressed in thirteen seconds flat – even if he did accidentally put his underwear on inside-out. "I'm going to get my yami back!" he declared, stormed out, and slammed the door behind him.

Amelda blinked. _Yami?_

* * *

Crystal strolled across the street to the game store. She opened up the front door and made a bee-line for the back. She passed the cashier behind the counter, waved hello, and walked through the door marked for employees only. She climbed the stairs, heading towards Jonouchi's room and stopped when she heard voices coming from the landing. It sounded like a conversation she didn't want to intrude upon, so she swiftly, but quietly made her way back and hid in a safe, shadowy corner.

"You bitch!" Ryuji hissed. "I can't believe you call yourself a genius. That's flat out wrong what you did!"

"Divide and conquer!" Rebecca snarled back. "That's how the Roman Empire was built! I am going to win Yugi! He's mine!"

"I'm going to tell him that you set him up!" Ryuji exclaimed vehemently. "You can't do that, Becky. It's beneath you."

"Beneath me? All I did was take a picture!"

"Yes, beneath you. I had a higher opinion of you than that. You disappoint me, Becky."

"You sound like my grandfather!" Rebecca yelled back at him. She stormed down the stairs loudly.

"You're not going anywhere, Becky!" Ryuji shouted as he grabbed the petite blonde's arm. "I won't let you do this!"

"What's it to you, Otogi?" Rebecca gnashed. "Let go of me!" She jerked her body away from him, but he only held onto her tighter. The black-haired youth pulled her forcefully back up the stairs towards him.

"What is it to me?" Ryuji asked in a dangerous, silky whisper. "Didn't you ever wonder why I got over Shizuka so quickly?"

"I- What?" Rebecca was taken aback. She blinked at him, surprised, but recovered her sour disposition in a flash. "I don't care, Ryuji! Let me go!"

"I think you do care," Ryuji said softly, and he pulled her even closer to him. "You come to see me every single day. I think that you do care, Becky."

"I… I don't know what you're talking about!" Rebecca said shrilly. She squirmed half-heartedly, her face blushing. "I have to find out who Anzu's taking to Jamaica with her."

"You should have spent that money on us, instead," Ryuji whispered, just barely audible to the shadowy corner downstairs. He shoved Rebecca against the wall and kissed her passionately. She went from pushing against his chest to clawing him in five seconds.

"Oy! Get a room, you two!" Jonouchi's voice hollered from above the landing. He came into view, chuckling at the glaring green eyes and the blushing blonde. "Have you seen Kuritsu-chan? She said she was going to meet me."

"For the last time, Jonouchi," Rebecca said, her corrective nature taking over, "it's _Crystal_."

"A rose with any other name-" Jonouchi began.

"I'm right here, Jou!" Crystal called up the stairs. "Hurry up, or we'll be late!" She climbed the stairs quickly, grabbed her boyfriend by his shirt collar, and dragged him back downstairs in the blink of an eye.

They were outside before Jonouchi could gasp, "You're choking me!"

"Sorry," Crystal apologized, kissing him on his neck.

"What's the hurry? The movie doesn't start for another hour."

"Forget the movie! We've got to go see Anzu! Come! You won't believe what I overheard!"

* * *

Seto walked into his office and his entire body stiffened. He could sense the presence of someone within the room, even if he couldn't see them. The lights were out, and the walls, ceiling, and floor were bathed with the city lights streaming in through the massive, open window that had been cleaned earlier that week.

Seto always closed the blinds at night. "Who's there?" he demanded. "Show yourself." Just as he had suspected, the office chair spun around to face him.

What took his breath away was who was inside it. "Good evening, Kaiba-boy!" Amelda cheerfully greeted a shocked CEO. "Looks like we both got dumped this week."

"I- What?" Seto stammered. "How do you know about Anzu?"

"Yugi told me he was going with her on a romantic geta-"

"Okay, I get it. Since when have you been friends with Yugi? What the hell are you doing in Japan? Why are you in my office? What do you want this time?"

"The answers are: about a week, you, you, and you," Amelda replied, smirking at his bewildered expression.

"What?"

"It hasn't been a good week for you, has it?" Amelda cajoled. "Let me make it worse."

Seto groaned. "Get out of my life!" He was about to go into an insulting rant when his heart stopped. His eyes bugged out of their sockets, gaping open-mouthed at what Amelda had withdrawn from an inside pocket of his jacket. "My Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" Seto moaned.

The cheshire-cat smile widened sadistically. He made a motion as if to tear it, thoroughly enjoying the torture that splayed across Seto's features. "Want it back?" he asked rhetorically.

"Give that back to me, you bastard!" Seto yelled. In a few quick strides, he reached his desk. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"It was in with the rest of your deck," Amelda said indifferently, shrugging.

Seto snarled at him. "What do you want?" he choked.

"I'll give this back to you if…" the grey eyes glinted.

"If what?" Seto said heatedly, losing his patience.

"If you kiss me."

Blink. Silence. "What? Are you insane?" Seto's voice went up half an octave. "You are holding my Blue-Eyes hostage for a _kiss_?"

The redhead threw back his head, exposing his fair neck, and cackled like mad. "Come and get it!" he teased, waving the rare Duel Monster card just out of Seto's desperate reach. The CEO quickly rounded the desk and stood nose to nose with the psychotic pacifist. He made to grab his precious BEWD, but Amelda held it behind himself, so that Seto would have to reach around him to get it.

Deep blue eyes stared intently into laughing silver ones. _It's worth it_, Seto thought, and he kissed the redhead for half a second and then lunged for the card.

Amelda took a swift step back. "That was pathetic!" he said, half disgusted, half amused. "Kiss me like you _really_ want your card back."

Seto gulped. Just as he had stiffened his resolve, Amelda lunged forward, wrapped his arms around the alarmed brunette, and shoved his tongue down his throat. As they were kissing, Seto reached for the card and retrieved it without resistance. He broke free of their passionate kiss and shoved the redhead onto his desk. "Where are the rest of my cards?" he demanded.

"You'll get each one back with each date you take me on," Amelda answered patronizingly.

Seto's irises shrank to pinpricks. "You (censored) bastard! Give me my cards back or I'll kill you!"

"You don't want to kill me," Amelda said, laughing. "You'll never get your deck back that way. You still have two more Blue-Eyes to save!"

Seto's jaw clenched. He knew he had no choice but to fulfill Amelda's wishes… at least until he could find where the redhead had hid his deck. "Fine, I'll go out with you. Now that I'm available…" He wasn't at all sorry that Anzu had dumped him; he was sore about losing her in that ugly fight. What he really wanted was to date Secret Olive. _All right, Amelda, I'll date you until I get my cards back_, Seto planned. _Then I'm going to dump you for Secret Olive._

Amelda's silver eyes glinted at Seto under his blood-red hair. _You have no idea what I've got in store for you, Kaiba-boy. _

* * *

**Author's Note:** I write Amelda as being fluent in many languages, including Arabic. So, he would know what Ryou was saying. Ryou learned Arabic from his father, who's an archeologist. Also, Yami no Bakura probably knew Arabic, too.

Also, Ryou using "bum" is a nod to his English voice actor - pun intended.

_REVIEWS PLEASE!_


	9. Chapter 9

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

Sept. 1, 2006

Chapter 9

"Kaiba-kun! You're here!" Ryuji exclaimed. He gestured for the CEO to sit on the stool. "I was beginning to think you weren't coming."

Seto declined the stool and resolutely stood, staring impassively at the dice master. "What is so important that I had to interrupt my work?"

"I have a business proposition-"

"Not interested," Seto cut off swiftly.

"It's my new game," Ryuji continued persistently.

"Talk to Pegasus," Seto inserted dryly.

"Well, with your technology…" Ryuji started but faltered under the cold veneer.

"Do I look like I care?" Seto sarcastically returned.

Before Ryuji could reply, Rebecca emerged from the backdoor. She gave one startled glance at Seto and walked cautiously to her new boyfriend's side. "What do you want?" she asked sharply.

Seto hesitated. "To get back to work," he replied finally. He turned around and walked straight into Jonouchi, knocking the latter over. "Watch where you're going, or I'll step on you!"

"_You _watch where _you're_ going!" Jonouchi exclaimed. Crystal helped him up as he gave Seto a sour look.

The lack of a smirk should have told everyone in the store that the CEO was in a fouler mood than usual – but nobody heeded it. He elected to shove Jonouchi aside rather than retort with a snarky reply. Jonouchi fell into a display case, knocking merchandise all over the floor.

Crystal dove to try and stop her boyfriend's fall, but only managed to fall on top of him. Her foot had on accident caught Seto's heel. Ryuji ran forward to help them both.

Seto had disappeared out the door, but Crystal ran out after him as soon as she had recovered.

"Oh, there's an eight-ball missing," Ryuji commented as he and Jonouchi were straightening out the fallen items. There was a yelp of pain outside, followed by a stream of cursing in Japanese, which was followed in turn with a stream of cursing in English. Crystal returned a moment later red-faced, but triumphant.

"Here," she said as she handed back a dented eight-ball to its owner. "I hope you don't mind, but I borrowed this."

Both Ryuji's and Jonouchi's eyes widened as the former took it from her, and Rebecca fell off her stool from laughing so hard.

Sparkling blue eyes turned frighteningly icy as Crystal glowered at her. "Your turn is next!" she hissed.

Rebecca gulped as she stood up. "What do you mean?"

"Kuritsu-chan," Jonouchi said quickly, standing behind her. "Calm down, please."

"No! I know what she did!" Crystal replied forcefully. "You are a conniving, manipulating, little-"

"That's enough!" Ryuji interjected. "I don't know how you know about that, Crystal, but Rebecca is sorry about what she did."

"Hey! How come you can pronounce her name right?" Jonouchi asked, indifferent to everything else.

Ryuji blinked. "My English is better than yours. I have to do business in Ame-"

"No one cares!" Crystal interrupted. "All you ever do is talk about yourself, Otogi. You are so self-absorbed. You probably had your own fan-club in high school, didn't you?"

"Let's go," Jonouchi pleaded, tugging on her arm.

Her fury seemed to have almost evaporated. She smiled at him, her face no longer red, and her eyes sparkling again. "Okay," she replied softly, "but just one last thing before we leave, Jou-chan."

She walked straight up to Rebecca and slapped her. "That's for what you did to Yugi and Anzu!"

* * *

Salty waves washed ashore, erasing the footprints of two young lovers walking along the sandy beach. The sun was setting, scorching the skyline with shades of deep crimson and fiery orange. Anzu turned to her new boyfriend, "Isn't this nice, Yugi?"

"Yup!" Yugi agreed enthusiastically. He was blushing, but it went unnoticed because he had gotten slightly sunburned playing in the waves and sand all day with Anzu. "I'm so glad you asked me to come with you to Jamaica, Anzu-chan! This is the best week of my life!"

"But you turned down the offer to sleep in the same room as me," Anzu pointed out, still confused over Yugi's intentions.

"That's because I'm a gentleman," Yugi replied seriously. "You are worth the wait, Anzu-chan." But secretly he wished he had taken up her offer. He was a noble, closet-pervert.

"I still can't believe that you and Amelda became friends," Anzu commented as if continuing a dropped conversation.

Yugi chuckled. "He is surprisingly a good friend, devious as he is…"

"What was your plan to win me over?" Anzu asked, her eyes shining in anticipation.

"Well, mine was…" Yugi laughed nervously, "mine was quite straightforward, unlike Amelda-kun's."

"What was it?" Anzu asked in her sweetest voice as she batted her eyelashes at him.

Yugi took a moment to recover from that. "I was going to send you a flower a day for each year that we've been friends, and then on the last year – the last flower, that is – I would serenade you with a song under your window." Yugi blushed so hard this time it did show.

Anzu was stunned, flattered, and in disbelief. _My_, she thought, _he isn't as shy as he used to be. I guess the Pharaoh's confidence **did** rub off on him._ She became bubbly with the mental image of such romance. "What song was it? Will you still sing it for me? What flowers were you going to send? Would they have been anonymous or would I know they were from you?" She asked all this in one, thrilled breath.

Yugi's eyes widened in surprise, digesting it slowly. When his brain finally caught up, he answered, "Daffodils is what Amelda-kun had suggested, since they are so unique. I was going to send them anonymously, and then when I was going to sing, I was going to hold a bouquet of them so you'd make the connection. The song was called, _Unchained Melody_, but I wanted to sing a different one because the lyrics are in English. He had suggested that song, too. He had also suggested some other stuff that I wasn't so comfortable with…"

They strolled along the shoreline, enjoying the sunset. After a while, Yugi continued the conversation as if there had been no lapse in time, "I hope Amelda-kun's plans works out for him."

* * *

Amelda opened the door to his apartment. "You ready?" Seto asked in a surprisingly friendly tone.

A grin illuminated the redhead's face. "Yes!" he replied enthusiastically. He stepped out, letting the door shut itself, and sauntered down the hall towards the stairs. Unseen behind him, a shadow passed through the open door just before it shut. Seto smiled to himself and followed his blissful date.

They reached his car, but Seto didn't unlock it. He leaned up against it casually, smirking at Amelda. The grey eyes blinked in confusion. "Are you waiting for something?" he asked curiously.

"It's a surprise," Seto answered, an undercurrent of amusement in his voice. "Just wait, Amelda."

Five minutes passed in darkness. Amelda shivered as he glanced at the pale streetlight, wondering what Seto could be up to. "I don't want to wait any longer, Seto," he said. "Let's go now. You can show me later."

"Since when have we been on a first name basis?" Seto asked nastily.

"You call me by my first name," Amelda replied. "And we are on a date." He shrugged as if this was obvious.

Seto's expression darkened. "Only because you blackmailed me. As for your first name, you introduced yourself that way, idiot."

Anger followed a hurt expression, flitting across Amelda's features like rain. He opened his mouth to retort, but stopped dead when he heard a familiar voice calling from the threshold of the apartment complex.

"I've got it, Nii-sama!" Mokuba called. He ran down the steps, across the pavement, and Amelda moved out of his path. Mokuba stopped just short of his older brother, who was holding the passenger door open for him. The younger Kaiba got in quickly, saying, "Sayonara, Amelda!"

Amelda's eyes widened in shock. Seto strode swiftly around the front of his car to the driver's side. Amelda regained his thoughts just as the CEO was opening his own door. "Wait! What about our date?"

"I would never date you! You think I was going to let you get away with that?" Seto scorned. "Besides, I'm in love with someone else!" He got into the car, slammed the door, and burned rubber. Amelda caught a departing glance at Mokuba's sadistic grin and Seto's Duel Monsters deck in his hands before they drove off into the night. Amelda stood there alone on the pavement, completely numb. _He's in love with someone else?_

And his cheshire-cat smile gleamed in the encroaching darkness.

* * *

"Honda, you missed the funniest thing today!" Jonouchi exclaimed as he burst through the front door of his friend's apartment. "It's too bad you didn't come over to my place, where Otogi…" He stopped dead upon seeing his friend. "Honda? What's wrong?"

Honda looked ill. He only shook his head in reply, unable to talk. He held a piece of paper in his shaking hands. He gulped, choking on his words, "Ryou…"

Jonouchi blinked. "What about him? Is he in trouble?"

"I think it's too late…" Honda said slowly. He handed Jonouchi the note. "Look."

Jonouchi's eyes bugged out as he read the note. He was too stunned to speak for a moment. "He's insane…" he whispered. He gazed at Honda expectantly. "We've got to go after him!" he cried.

"To Egypt?" Honda asked, incredulous. "How?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

Sept 2, 2006

Chapter 10

"We're here," a man announced with a touch of sarcasm. He and his brother dismounted their camels, strode over to the landslide that embraced the side of a steep hill. "There have been rumors that something priceless was buried here, but no one has been able to get anywhere near it."

"Yes," his brother agreed, nodding to the Japanese client who had not dismounted his camel yet. "But no one was able to confirm these rumors. This place is protected by spirits."

"Not spirits," the white-haired bishonen replied in Arabic, "but a clan of people. Human beings like ourselves." His usually cheerful brown eyes gazed coldly at the alluvial deposit of debris – a mixture of lithological and eroded sandstone, dirt, and sediment. He knew that underneath there lay an entrance to what he was seeking.

"How would you know, Mr. Bakura?" his first guide asked. "We've never heard of such a clan."

"You are ignorant of many things," Ryou Bakura replied calmly, but there was a savage edge to his voice. "Come on, let's dig. We haven't got all night." He pointed at the brother of the first. "You, light a fire. And you can get the shovels," he instructed his guide.

"Shovels?" inquired the weary guide. "I didn't bring any."

"What?" Ryou cried. "You were supposed to bring shovels! I told you we would be digging!"

"We aren't being paid to dig," replied the second. "So, you can dig yourself, if you like. We are leaving now." He chucked a bundle of firewood to the ground and mounted his camel. "We'd be insane to stay here. Like we said earlier… it's protected by spirits!"

"Morons! I told you this place is safe now!" Ryou returned. "I said I'd pay you for the digging after I got what I wanted!"

"I don't care if there's a king's ransom in there!" exclaimed the first, also mounting his camel. "Come on, brother, let's leave. This foreigner is insane."

Ryou wanted to scream and yell at them as he watched the retreating rumps of the hardy desert animals and their riders disappear into the night. But he was silent with tears streaming down his sorrowful face. He didn't have the commanding presence his yami had. He didn't have that power anymore. _But not for long…_ he thought. _I'm going to get him back if it's the last thing I do!_

As Ryou set about making a small bonfire, he thought about what he would say to his yami when he found him. He knew that Yami would want to recover the Millennium Items and try to rule the world again. _That simply can't be allowed_, Ryou thought. _I'll just have to try and explain that he can be a little nicer, and that would be more effective than trying to conquer Earth. _

Ryou knew he sounded naïve, even to himself, but he didn't care. He wanted his companion - the other half that made him complete. He wanted a cure for his loneliness. He thought of how true it was that people always wanted what was better than what they already had. Way over yonder was where milk and honey flowed. He would taste the sweetness and live a good life. He would have shelter from cold hearts and hunger of loneliness. The sun would always shine brighter down upon him, and the warm rays would wash his troubles and worries away like a healing balm.

It was odd just how close he literally was, and just how much it all felt like a faded dream. _Is it real?_ he wondered. He studied the landslide that covered the entrance to where the Pharaoh had held his Ceremonial Duel with Yugi. He sighed heavily. _Just over yonder is my paradise._

* * *

Water spray floated on the breeze, cooling all the pedestrians near the fountain. Seto stood under a shady tree across the open courtyard, which was paved with neatly laid cobblestones. Children ran to try and catch the glitter in the stones and to splash their hands in the fountain – carefree as if the whole world had been created just for them. Seto smiled to himself. Kaibaland was the best investment he had ever made in his life. 

He hoped that this meeting would be the second best investment. He checked his watch. Secret Olive agreed to meet him at the fountain in the center of Kaibaland, Tokyo. The mysterious man was late. Seto felt uneasy, watching the pedestrians meandering by. Occasionally someone would come up to him, asking for an autograph. He was in an extremely impatient, anxious mood, but remained as chill as a cucumber. The only thing that helped to distract him was the happiness of the children playing.

Suddenly, hands covered his eyes from behind, and the sound of someone throwing their voice off whispered in his ear, "Guess who, Ryu-sama!"

_Why does that voice sound familiar? _His heart hammered in his chest. He pulled himself away without replying and turned around to meet Secret Olive. Sadistic silver eyes glinted merrily at him, and the cheshire-cat smile widened at the look upon the CEO's face.

There are no words to describe the classic expression of utter, stunned bewilderment that distorted the usual cold veneer. A passerby even took a picture, and the flash of light snapped Seto out of his stupor. "YOU!" He pointed at Amelda, who cackled mischievously. Seto almost fainted he was in such shock.

"Me!" Amelda replied. "I'm Secret Olive. I'm surprised you didn't figure it out before hand, Ryu-sama!"

"You are not he!" Seto returned angrily. "You've done something to him! I swear I'll make you pay!" He started to walk towards the redhead threateningly, but stopped dead in his tracks. Amelda's expression had changed completely, and he looked almost innocent.

"I am Secret Olive…" he said in a quiet voice. His eyes had misted over, shining in the bright sunlight. "Even after all this time, you still don't… Just think about our conversations. Tell me at which point I was anything unlike myself."

Seto stopped to gape at him, flabbergasted. He blinked furiously in confusion, his brain reeling for some evidence to prove the pacifist wrong. His shoulders slumped hopelessly for a moment, but then he straightened to his full height when a thought occurred to him. "Why don't _you_ prove that you are in fact Secret Olive?" he demanded. "Ha! Prove it, you son of a-"

"Okay."

Seto recovered his usual disposition, which contrasted with the merriness of the amusement park. His deep blue eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What are you waiting for?"

Amelda's expression had completely neutralized now. He looked quite sober, and he motioned for Seto to follow him. "I can't show you in public," he informed. "It would be very indecent – even for me. There are children around. Do you know of a private place?"

Seto thought for a moment. He hesitated, thinking that it was a trap; but he decided that even if it were a trap, he'd be able to foil it. "There is the Kaibaland office," he answered slowly. "I have a private lounge adjacent to my office." He snarled inwardly. It was the place he had been planning on taking Secret Olive, not wasting time with Amelda.

The redhead followed Seto to the main building, up an elevator, and into his Kaibaland office, passing the secretary without an explanation. Seto took out a set of keys from his pocket, and unlocked the door leading to their destination.

Inside was a small, mahogany bar. On the wall behind it were assorted hard liquors, and a fridge underneath that. Further into the room, was a lounging mattress the size of a double bed. There were pillows strewn about the room carelessly, and a couple toys that looked like they belonged to Mokuba.

"Is this for Mokuba or you?" Amelda asked curiously, pointing to the alcohol first and then the toys.

"Neither," Seto replied dryly. "It's meant to be for special guest that I'd offer drinks to, but sometimes Mokuba comes in here to play." He muttered about uncleanliness a little before returning to glare at Amelda. "Well? Show me. I haven't got all day."

It was the first time Seto had ever seen Amelda blush. It was only slight, but he was definitely embarrassed. Seto took a step backwards subconsciously as Amelda unbuckled his own belt, turned around, and let his pants fall to the floor.

* * *

The sun started to rise, illuminating the horizon with a golden glow, lightening the deep, velvet sky to the familiar blue of day. A vulture riding the high altitude air currents sailed lazily, scanning the Valley of the Kings below. She could see something moving, but it was colored just like the sand. Since there was no smell of rotting flesh, she pressed on. 

Ryou Bakura struggled in the alluvial fan, completely coated from dirt and golden, glittering sand. He wasn't aware of the vulture overhead or the coming of the sunrise. His entire body ached as he shifted debris with his bare hands, only to have more of the sediment cascade down and fill the hole he had just made. So far, he hadn't gotten any closer to his yami than when he had first started digging the previous two nights ago. He was out of firewood, food, and water. His aching heart was all that kept him going.

His fingers were cracked and bleeding. His nails had worn away, replaced by caked blood and dirt. His mouth was parched dry, and his lips were cracked and blanched. He pressed on, believing that his efforts would be rewarded.

His clothes were saturated with salt from sweat that had evaporated the previous day. They, too, had lost their original colors, yielding to the paintbrush of the desert. His eyes were the only source of wetness. He dug a few more feet. The alluvial fan shifted, and another mini-landslide buried his latest endeavors. He had lost count of how many times he had almost been buried, trapped under rock and sand.

But he could not bear the pain he bore any longer. He persistently dug further to no avail. His flesh screamed for nourishment, just as his soul screamed louder for love.

* * *

**Author's Note:** "Way Over Yonder" by Carole King, is the song that inspired this story - hence the title. If you know the lyrics, you'll understand just what is going through Ryou's head. 

_REVIEWS PLEASE!_


	11. Chapter 11

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

Sept 1, 2006

Chapter 11

"We should have done this days ago!" Honda declared. "But someone felt that asking Kaiba for help was too desperate!" He glared at Jonouchi, who returned with resolute sienna eyes. The whole gang was in the front lobby of Kaiba Corporation. Yugi and Anzu had returned from their trip both baked from the Jamaican sun. They all managed to fit into the elevator, and Jonouchi pressed the button for the top floor.

Shizuka whistled absentmindedly while Ryuji twirled a strand of jet-black hair nervously. The bell dinged, and they all piled out haphazardly. Rebecca even fell over. "Does anyone feel that this is a bad idea?" Jonouchi asked before they reached the secretary.

Honda sighed. "Shut up, Jou." He turned to the secretary, Suzu. (**A/N**) "Hello sister! How's my favorite nephew doing?"

"Johji's fine," Suzu replied. "He's growing like bamboo! What can I do for you, Hiroto?"

"My friends and I would like to see your boss," Honda replied. "I know you usually don't allow anyone in who doesn't have an appointment, but this is urgent!"

She studied her brother carefully for a sign of a joke, but then sighed heavily. "Okay, but just this once," she said. Suzu pushed the button under her desk to open the security door that lead to Seto Kaiba's office.

The walked down the hall and quickly walked into the office after knocking. If the CEO was surprised to see everyone in his office, he didn't show it. His eyes trailed over each face, lingering momentarily on Anzu's before staring at Honda. The brunette was in front of everyone, apparently leading the group forward. "What do you small fries want?" Seto inquired acidly.

"We need your help!" Honda blurted out. "Ryou Bakura went crazy and took off to Egypt! We believe he's trying to get his yami back! We need you to help us get there! WE NEED TO STOP HIM! WE NEED TO SAVE HIM!"

"Yami?" a voice puzzled from behind. They all turned around to see Amelda leaning against the wall. Yugi grinned knowingly for a second. Amelda continued, "He said something about that when I saw him last."

Everyone looked confused as Honda looked away from the redhead. Seto scrutinized his new boyfriend for a second. "I'm not going to ask what you were doing with that nobody," Seto stated coldly. He turned his eyes back to Honda. "You know that he can't reach the Millennium Ring. It's buried. Unless he's got equipment…"

"You know what would happen if he got Yami no Bakura back!" Honda exclaimed. "You were there in the Memory World, too! You know what Hell he can unleash! You don't want that to happen again, do you? Help us to stop him!"

Seto bit his bottom lip. He was extremely aggravated. "I'm not interested in another Yugi-tachi adventure, dweebs, but I don't want to suffer the headache that guy can create. I'll help you."

"Can I come?" Amelda asked cheerfully, the dire situation lost on him.

* * *

A jeep sailed across a sea of golden sand dunes. Four passengers rode in the weathered vehicle, each feeling at home in the forsaken desert. Miss Ishizu drove, her serene, blue eyes fixed upon her unseen destination. Her traditional Arabian garments flapped in the relentless wind. Beside her sat Pegasus, bedecked head to toe in khaki and a safari hat. His silver hair was tied in a ponytail, revealing his formerly hidden face. His remarkably realistic, new glass eye moved in coordination with his real, right eye due to the expensive surgery he had undertaken recently.

Pegasus still retained an acute six-sense, which at present he ignored. While he expounded gaily about Duel Monsters to Ishizu, intense lavender eyes were burning holes in the back of his head. Behind Pegasus sat Marik, who grounded his teeth and trembled with mounting anger. Beside Marik sat Rishid, his bald-head was protected by a turban in the blazing sun. He leaned forward and asked, "How much farther, dear sister?"

"Not far," Ishizu replied, cool as an oasis.

"I'm really excited about these new carvings you've found, Ishizu!" Pegasus exclaimed. "Should be quite a treat! I'm always eager to search out new inspirations for my paintings. I sure hope I do justice to…"

As he rambled on wistfully about his artwork, dark ominous ideas clouded Marik's mind. Rishid put a hand on his shoulder to calm him. "Don't worry, Marik-sama," the elder said softly. "Our sister is a grown woman. She can handle herself."

"Hmph!" Marik snorted as he shot a swift, piercing glance at his elder brother before returning to glower at the back of the apparently oblivious American. _Just try to touch her… _Marik egged on darkly in his mind. _I **dare** you!_ He desperately wished he still had his Millennium rod.

"You know, I have an exquisite personal collection in my home in San Francisco," Pegasus informed Ishizu. "You should come over sometime and have a look. I daresay it would be to your liking. Someone with fine taste as yourself, Ishizu, would appreciate my art along with a great-tasting red wine! If you ever happen to-"

At that moment, Ishizu had slammed her foot on the break pedal. The jeep slid forward a good ten meters before resting with its front tires half-sunk in the sand. Marik, who was the only one foolish enough to not wear a seat belt, went sailing over Pegasus, landed on the hood of the vehicle, fell off, and landed face-first into the sand.

Pegasus forced himself not to laugh at the sight of Marik, who resembled an ostrich with his head buried in sand. He unbuckled and got out to assist his potential brother-in-law. Marik's near-white blonde hair was now golden like the surrounding desert, and his dark face looked pale coated in glittering sand. He started to yell curses in Arabic at Pegasus, mixed with "may Ammut eat your 'nads" and "may the gods grind your bones!"

Rishid had been the only one to notice Ishizu jumping out of her seat to bolt off towards the near-distant alluvial fan that marked the former entrance to where the Millennium Stone lay buried. "Marik-sama!" he called sharply. Both the younger brother and the stunned entrepreneur glanced at Rishid and followed his scrutinizing gaze into the distance where the beautiful Egyptologist had disappeared. They followed him, running towards Ishizu and the foothills.

They found her crying over something resembling a human lying in her lap. A hand lay upon the sand next to Ishizu's hip, its fingers tainted with dried blood where the tips had worn away to the bones. Their eyes traced the hand to the limp arm up to the emaciated collarbone to a familiar face frozen in pain and sorrow. The corpse was barely recognizable since he was covered in dirt and sand, perfectly camouflaged with the surroundings.

Marik gasped, "Bakura…"

* * *

**Author's Note**:

Suzu is an OC I plan on using later in my upcoming fic, **Quinquepertitus**. She's Honda's sister, which also means that she's Johji's mother. Read the first series manga if you don't know who Johji is. Don't use Suzu without my permission.

More importantly, this story will have a sequel. It will also be the sequel to another fic of mine, **Coming Forth By Day**. If you haven't read that one yet, I suggest you do – otherwise, the ending to this story won't make any sense. **CFBD** is only 4 short chapters long - a breezy read.

And yes, I started writing the latter half of this chapter yesterday, and the previous chapter today. (If anyone's paying attention to the dates.)

And no, this is not the end… There is more. Reviews please, or I will delay the last chapter. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha ha!


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note:** I warned you guys to read **Coming Forth By Day**. If you haven't, then don't blame me if this chapter does not make any sense to you.

**Over Yonder**

By _Pearl of the Dark Age_

September 4, 2006

Chapter 12

Amelda took one look, clasped his hand over his mouth, and ran out of the room. Anzu swayed on the spot, sat down upon the cold, tile floor, and drew her knees to her chest. Yugi started to cry silently, sitting beside his girlfriend, wrapping his arm around her, and resting his head on her shoulder. Seto was speechless. If he cared at all, he didn't show it. Crystal buried her face in Jonouchi's chest, sobbing quietly. Shizuka hugged Honda, and Rebecca hugged Ryuji, each looking for solace. Every guy was ashen-faced.

Marik stood in the back corner like a sentinel. An expression of sorrow creased his features, but he had already done his crying. His sister and brother were standing by the table upon which the body of Ryou Bakura lay. "There was nothing I could do," Ishizu informed with a heavy heart.

"It's not your fault, Ishizu," Pegasus said consolingly. "We were all there."

"Perhaps we should give his friends time alone while we retrieve Bakura's personal possessions," Rishid suggested. "In our haste, we left everything behind."

"That's a good idea," Marik agreed. Ishizu bowed to the group of mourning friends and departed with Rishid, Marik, and Pegasus.

A moment later, Seto left stone-faced without an explanation. For a long time, no one spoke. After an hour of silence, Yugi said, "I can't believe my friend is _dead_."

"Yeah," Jonouchi agreed heavily. "It's not like he went to the Shadow Realm and we could rescue him somehow. He's gone… forever."

Everyone else agreed in stunned silence.

* * *

As the Ishtars and Pegasus approached the alluvial fan again, they all gasped in disbelief. Bakura's things were there, but so was someone else. Ishizu slammed her foot on the brakes - again, jumped out of the jeep before it came to a complete stop, and ran flat-out to the stranger dressed in bleached linens and a turban. "Get away from here!" she cried savagely. She reached the stranger before he had a chance to respond, turned him around, and smacked him as hard as she could.

Pharaoh Atem fell to the ground – his golden bangs askew. The turban fell off, revealing his multi-colored, spiky hair. "I'm sorry!" he apologized. "I was just looking for something to eat!"

* * *

Ryou Bakura stood in a vast, endless, swirling ocean of pearly-white clouds. It stretched to the horizons that encompassed him and presumably beyond. However, his feet felt solid ground as if the torrential clouds were merely opaque fog from a fog-machine. The sky above was unlike anything seen on Earth. It was a deep, violet-blue studded with stars that glinted like diamonds. Ryou could not believe such a place was real. He could not even remember how he got here.

He glanced from side to side, feeling suddenly alone. "If this is Heaven, where is everybody?" he asked aloud.

"Ha!" a familiar voice cackled behind him. "You think they'd let someone like _me_ into Heaven?"

Ryou spun around. "YAMI!" he cried ecstatically and glomped the white-haired counterpart.

"I… can't… breathe…" Bakura gasped. "Get… off… wench!"

Ryou replied by squeezing harder – he was too thrilled to have found his yami at last to let go now. Bakura's eyes bulged out dangerously, and the only sound made was an escaping hiss of air. When Ryou was satisfied, he let go, and Bakura remained in the "squeezed" shape.

Yami no Bakura took a couple minutes to recover. He inhaled a deep breath before rounding on Ryou as if to yell and hit him, but stopped dead, staring into the shining, innocent face. He had to admit it that he was glad Bastet had kept her promise and delivered his hikari. "What took you so long?" he asked.

Ryou blinked. "Were you expecting me?" he inquired. No reply. "If you're here, then that must mean that I'm in Hell," Ryou mused aloud with a thoughtful finger on his bottom lip. "I didn't think I would end up here."

"You think _this_ is Hell?" Bakura asked, eyes bugging out maniacally. "Ha ha ha ha ha! You are so stupid!"

"Well, forgive me," Ryou said defensively with a touch of sarcasm, catching his yami by surprise, "but this is the _first_ time that I've died!"

Bakura chuckled under his breath. "You're right. That's true." He smiled a little more sanely, but his eyes looked just as insane as Ryou remembered. "Welcome to the Afterlife! What you see around you is the threshold," Bakura explained. "No one enters Heaven or Hell directly, so this is the waiting area or judging area - purgatory if you will. Call it whatever you like. For all I know, Heaven and Hell could be the same place. No one knows what either of them truly look like."

Ryou studied his yami quizzically. "So, you didn't make it into Hell, either?" he asked skeptically.

Bakura laughed insanely again. "Ha ha ha ha ha! There is no way Heaven would accept me, and the Devil is too afraid to take me! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

"Are we stuck here?" Ryou asked. "Where is here, again?"

"This is the threshold," Bakura repeated. "It looks different to each passing soul. However the soul envisions the afterlife, that is how the threshold looks."

"Wow!" Ryou breathed, his eyes shining. "I didn't know you had this in you, Yami," he said in awe, gazing at their surroundings.

Bakura winced. "You are the one who imagined this place, twit!" He shuddered. "You think _I_ would like this?" He glared at the sparkling sky. "It's ugly! What you need is some carnage! Some broken, bloody bones and guts strewn about… Maybe a little fire over here and over there…" And he went into a raving rant about the destruction of the world.

"Uh, Yami," Ryou spoke up. It was as if he had pressed a pause button. Yami no Bakura was frozen in a mid wild gesture - his face contorted maniacally. Only his eyes moved onto Ryou, like a creepy doll in a horror flick. Ryou continued, "You aren't going to do anything that I don't approve. No more carnage – it's bad."

For a whole minute there was no movement or change in expression on Yami's part. Then, he stood up straight, his face neutralized, strode over to stand right in front of his hikari, and stated flatly, "You are insane."

Ryou decided to change the subject. "How did you imagine the threshold, then?"

"Oh, you know," Bakura replied dismissively, "the whole Hall of Judgment thing… Apparently my heart does weigh more than a feather." He shrugged apathetically.

"I knew you had a heart!" Ryou cried excitedly.

"Don't get the wrong idea, mortal!" Bakura returned savagely. "I didn't pass the first trial."

"Then how is it that you are here if you were eaten by Ammut?" Ryou queried, remembering his Egyptology. "You should have been wiped out of existence."

"Only half of me was eaten," Bakura answered. "Bastet saved my other half."

Ryou blinked. "Which half was eaten?" he asked curiously, wondering if there was a difference.

"The good half!" Bakura wailed, half mad. "The darkest and most powerful part of me… gone!" He sniffed.

"Does this mean you're not evil anymore?"

"Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Bakura cacophonously laughed. "Of course not! I'm still the big bad wolf!" His eyes gleamed.

Ryou's concern was evident on his face. He sighed resignedly. "Then why did Bastet save you?" he inquired, completely lost.

Bakura stopped laughing. "I don't know," he answered seriously. "Now that I'm not a god anymore, their ways don't make sense to me." He put his hand on chin in mock thought. "All I know is that I get another chance to take over the world again!"

"Not again…" Ryou replied. "How are you going to do it this time?"

"RELIGION!" Bakura said enthusiastically – his clenched fist held before him emphatically. "I shall convert the masses to my religion, and dominate over their weak minds! I shall rule the world as a god!"

"Which religion?"

"I don't know," Bakura replied. "I haven't made it up, yet."

A large drop of anime sweat appeared by Ryou's temple. He rubbed the bridge of his nose gingerly. "You are the insane one, Yami," he stated flatly. "I can't understand why the cat-goddess would do this."

"Because she likes to have fun," a rumbling purr said from behind. Ryou spun around to face a horse-sized, black cat with glowing amber eyes. Bastet grinned at him, revealing her gleaming white sharp teeth.

Yami no Bakura grabbed Ryou and moved him behind himself. "I know he looks like a mouse, Highness," he said, "but you can't eat him."

Bastet laughed derisively. "I wasn't going to, blanched stuff! You should be careful challenging a god like that. You are mortal now – remember? You and your hikari will carry out my wishes according to our agreement." She licked her claws as if to say, "or else…"

The End.

* * *

To be continued in the sequel, **Return to the East Bank**, which is also the sequel to my other fic, **Coming Forth By Day**. If you haven't read that yet, I suggest you do.

_Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, and favorited this story!_


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